FRESH START!

A New Year is always a good reason for a "fresh start." 2009 will bring us a new President who hopfully will bring a fresh start to Washington. Wall Street will be experiencing a 'fresh start' where many of the old 'movers & shakers' will be replaced. I am hopeful that Integrity, Honesty, Wisdom, and Righteousness will become traits the new movers and shakers ascribe to, both on Wall Street and in DC.

Family matters, in a parochial and national sense. It doesn't matter who your family is, or who you consider makes up your family. Family first! This simply means: let's take care of each other with caring and concern for each other's well being. On a larger scale, that should inlcude your friends, acquaintances, work associates, teachers, service providers and all the people you come in contact with in your daily life.

Let us begin admiring and appreciating the way we treat each other, do our work, put effort into our studies, deal with crisis small and large and take care of our individual responsibilities to the best of our abilities. Let us admire the creators of the world, the inventors, the great actors, the amazing singers, dancers, athletes, entertainers for their contribution of our world. Let us admire publicly those who make a difference in our lives. Let us re-install small courtesies in our daily contact with each other, such as "Thank you! Job well done! Much appreciated. You are welcome. My pleasure! Excuse me, Pardon me, Go ahead." Let's win with honest effort and lose with dignity.

Let's again believe in "The greatest good for the greatest number of people" instead of may the loudest voice be heard. Let's try to do, 'the right thing', and accept nothing but the right thing and the best each of us has to offer.

A small change in the attitude in each of us is like a pebble... it can reach all the way to Washington, DC and yes, even to Wall Street!